This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to automated drafting systems used to generate digital drawings of brackets attached to such an engine.
Sheet metal brackets are designed to mount tubing and other accessories to a gas turbine engine. The brackets are bent into a shape from a flat pattern, and may be made from a single piece or the bracket may include welded gussets or braces. The bracket complexity may range from a single bend with no welds up to approximately twenty bends with numerous welded gussets and bend reliefs. Nut plates, spacers, and clips may also be welded or riveted to the brackets.
Currently, brackets are designed using computer aided design (CAD) systems, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,435. More specifically, in operation, a system user supplies information such as face selection, part location, and other attributes when prompted by the CAD program, and with such inputs, the system generates a model of the bracket.
The computer generated model is given to a detailer who creates drawing views, dimensions, material fastening information, and general notation that defines the bracket. Typically, the general notation includes part cross-references to a parts list, and welding symbology. Because each bracket is unique with respect to drawing views, dimensions, and material fastening, creating the drawing views, dimensions, material fastening information, and the general notation may be a labor-intensive and time-consuming task. Furthermore, because of the uniqueness of the drawings, the drawings are not standardized between brackets, and a quality of the drawings is dependant upon the skills of the detailer.